Charm the Dragon Tamer (A Charlie Weasley and Hermione Granger Love Story)

Chapter 5

Hey guys, please don't forget to read the author's note at the end. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in comments. I love reading them.
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The day of the ball finally arrived. Draco, Hermione and Astoria had all searched for the perfect dress for Hermione for three days straight, which honestly was quite exhausting. Charlie, unfortunately was forbidden to see the dress. He didn't even have the luck of even catching a glimpse of it when the dress was brought in the house. All he knew was that the dress solely contained Slytherin colours. Astoria had taken slight pity on him and let it slip that Hermione had bought a special accessory just for him in hopes he would like it. Hermione woke up when the blanket was savagely ripped from her form. She shrieked.
"Wake up! We have to make you look the best! Astoria said impatience evident in her voice as was her bloody excitement
"What time is it?" Hermione inquired sleepily
"12:30 in the afternoon." Draco answered coming out of the bathroom
Hermione perched up at the sound of his voice. She looked the way where she heard his voice came from to see Draco standing in all his glory in just black trousers offering a really generous view of his abs and v-lines, but also what was mostly hidden due to clothes all the time, his scars that he received during the war while protecting her directly or indirectly especially in the final battle where he had run into the battle recklessly searching for her. Suffice to say, she still balmed herself for being the cause of his worst injuries as well as Theo and Blaise's injuries. Hermione never realised that she was staring a second too long.
"Take a picture, that'll last longer." Draco smirked and Astoria snickered
"I... I w-wasn't star-staring." Hermione managed to splutter
"Sure you weren't." Astoria said with a smug expression
"Whatever!" Hermione sighed turing away from the duo
Hermione didn't want the duo to notice the change of her behaviour. She shook her head. Astoria like she wanted didn't notice but Draco on the other hand did. He knew that Hermione blamed herself for the injuries that were caused when he was protecting her directly or indirectly during the war.
During the battle he did get badly injured just as Theo and Blaise while protecting her from death eaters. She was literally fighting the worst of them. She always blamed herself for what happened. She had become truly closed off for couple of months before the boys somehow managed to coax her out of her shell and open up to them. Draco quietly asked Astoria to leave him and Hermione alone for a moment.
Though Astoria was confused with the sudden request but complied knowing full well that there will always be certain things that will just remain between Draco and Hermione or Blaise, Draco, Hermione and Theo. True that sometimes she gets jealous of how close Hermione and Draco are, that Draco would rather talk to Hermione about some things instead and sometimes they would flirt but she knew all of this was just because Hermione is the only family he has left after his father disowning him because he rushed into the battle to protect a mudblood and his mother being forbidden to see him after being disowned. To be honest, I don't think she had a problem in not seeing him because she seems to have been enjoying life with the fortune at her hand with his father being released off Azkaban.
Hermione had helped him a lot after that. Draco had been there for her when she was devastated after finding out that the memory spell she used was irreversible and that her parents had adopted a baby girl, whom they named Hermione. After graduation, Hermione had helped Draco start the the Princess & Dragon Malfoy Industries from scratch, helped with the setbacks and get it to the place it is now. Their flirting has always been harmless mischief, along with their banters.
After Astoria left, Draco the door and put on a silencing charm on the room. He made his way towards his sister whose back was facing him. He sat beside her and turned her to face him. One look at her face which she in desperate need to hide had buried it in his bare chest, made his heart hurt. He wrapped one hand around her small form and with his other hand, he stroked her hair. If one didn't knew better, they would've thought he was comforting his lover not his sister.
"I'm sorry." Draco said in a soft voice meant to comfort, after a few moments
"It's ok, it was just harmless fun. I'm just overreacting." Hermione mumbled in his chest
"I know that I do some things with innocent intentions but I fail to consider that those few things I may joke or tease you about aren't the ones I should go about in that manner." Draco said softly
"I just overreact. It's alright." Drago felt Hermione shake her head as she said that
"You are just trying to get over things that aren't easy to get over with, for me but I know it's hard for you and joking about them doesn't help. Sometimes it slips my mind. I know you're really trying and also how you feel about my scars. So, I'm sorry I don't consider your feelings sometimes. I promise, I will." Draco said comforting
"You don't have anything to apologise for. I just can't seem to let go of things that happened nearly two to three years ago." Hermione replied
Draco pushed her gently, just a little away from him. He cupped her cheek with on of his hands and made her look at him, offering a small smile.